Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Ode to Sharktopus, Ninja News, CassaStorm Update, and October Movie Preview!

Two years ago, Sharktopus escaped the deluded minds at the SyFy Channel and attacked the viewing public with a vengeance. I braved this Saturday night Craptastic film and brought to you a play-by-play of the disaster. To celebrate this most auspicious occasion, I am guest posting at Lee’s blog, Tossing it Out, with a tribute called Sharktopus: A Love Story, as well as the original play-by-play in its entirety. If you’re in need of a good laugh today, go pay Tossing it Out a visit!

Ninja News!

Thanks to everyone who visited Karen at Write Now earlier this week for my take on what makes a blog successful. Really appreciated the awesome comments!

Jeffrey Beesler is hosting a giveaway for his latest book, Speed Demons, through September 27 – visit his site for details!

In case you missed it, Ciara Knight and I are hosting the Did I Notice Your Book Blogfest on October 17. Join us in highlighting a special book you’ve noticed lately.

Special cover reaveal!

The Big Smoke by Cally Jackson Coming in October 2012

Ceara’s desperate for love; Seb’s desperate to get laid. Two strangers, both moving from small country towns to Brisbane for uni. Will they survive life in the big smoke or crumble under the pressure?

Find the book on Goodreads

And find Cally at: Blog, Twitter, and Goodreads.

CassaStorm Progress!

Monday night I finished revisions and sent CassaStorm off to my awesome critique partners, Rusty, Jeffrey, and Cassie Mae! I let one of my test readers (who rocks with dialogue) attack it first and he also had some good suggestions for slight plot changes. So four months to create the outline, two months to write the first draft, and two months of editing and mutilating. At the moment it’s clocking in at 82,000 words, which is a record for me. Now it’s in my critique partners’ hands. Let the carnage begin…

October Movie Preview!

Here are the upcoming releases for October. Not a great selection, but I did the best I could with the list. As always, descriptions courtesy of the IMDB. Snarky comments by me.

5 -

Taken 2
In Istanbul, retired CIA operative Bryan Mills and his wife are taken hostage by the father of a kidnapper Mills killed while rescuing his daughter.
Director: Olivier Megaton
Stars: Liam Neeson, Famke Janssen, Maggie Grace, Rade Serbedzija
The only that could make this better if it was called Taken 2: Electric Boogaloo!

Frankenweenie
Young Victor conducts a science experiment to bring his beloved dog Sparky back to life, only to face unintended, sometimes monstrous, consequences.
Director: Tim Burton
Stars: Winona Ryder, Catherine O'Hara, Martin Landau, Christopher Lee
Didn’t we already see this?




12 -

Sinister
Found footage helps a true-crime novelist realize how and why a family was murdered in his new home, though his discoveries put his entire family in the path of a supernatural entity.
Director: Scott Derrickson
Stars: Ethan Hawke, Juliet Rylance, James Ransone, Vincent D'Onofrio
The preview isn’t scary, but every reviewer says this is terrifying. Not sure who to believe…


19 -

Alex Cross
A detective is told that a member of his family has been murdered. He vows to track down the killer.
Director: Rob Cohen
Stars: Tyler Perry, Matthew Fox, Rachel Nichols, Edward Burns
Terry Perry IS Alex Ninja! Wait, that’s not right…




26 –

Cloud Atlas
An exploration of how the actions of individual lives impact one another in the past, present and future, as one soul is shaped from a killer into a hero, and an act of kindness ripples across centuries to inspire a revolution.
Directors: Tom Tykwer | Andy Wachowski | Lana Wachowski
Stars: Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Hugh Grant, Hugo Weaving
Directed by the former Wachowski Brothers. Now the Wachowski Brother and Sister. Don’t make me explain…

Silent Hill: Revelation 3D
When her father disappears, Heather Mason is drawn into a strange and terrifying alternate reality that holds answers to the horrific nightmares that have plagued her since childhood.
Director: Michael J. Bassett
Stars: Sean Bean, Radha Mitchell, Carrie-Anne Moss, Kit Harington
First one had great atmosphere and creepy visuals. Let’s hope this one also has a good story.


Ready for a good laugh this morning? (Hopefully not from my critique partners – that would be bad.) Excited about the news and new books? Signed up for the blogfest? Did you pick up The Avengers on Tuesday? I got my 3D copy! And what movies are you excited about next month?

Don’t forget to visit Tossing it Out for my sendoff to Sharktopus!

And the Ninja will be gone this weekend, so no post on Friday. Wife and I are both playing hooky. I will be lurking…

Monday, September 24, 2012

What is Blogging Success, Ninja News, Dredd Movie Review, Music Trivia Answers, and the Did I Notice Your Book Blogfest!

Today I have a guest post with the wonderful Karen Lange at Write Now. I answer the question – what is blogging success? Please visit Karen today for my take on success in the blogging world.

Ninja News

Christine Rains is holding a birthday bash and giveaway on October 5 – you don’t want to miss it.

Laura Barnes got an agent – congratulations, Laura! AND she got a request from a publisher that she was able to forward to her new agent. How cool is that/?

The Best of Vine Leaves Literary Journal, edited by Jessica Bell and Dawn Ius, is now available on Goodreads!

Jeremy at Retro-Zombie is nearing 1500 posts and 500 followers and he’s hosting a giveaway to celebrate! Visit Jeremy’s site for details.

EJ Wesley is celebrating the release of his book, Blood Fugue, with the Bury the Hatchet Blogfest. Lots of amazing prizes! Runs until October 19. Congratulations on the new book, EJ.

Laura Eno’s new book, Wish, comes out next month. If you would like to help with her book launch, see her site for details. Congratulations, Laura!

Movie Review

Dredd

Forget that awful Stallone version! This film matches the feel of the comic book – it’s gritty, dark, violent, and bloody.
Dredd takes on a rookie with psychic abilities and their first assignment finds them trapped in a massive housing unit and at the mercy of gang leader Ma-Ma. (And they managed to make the lovely Lena Headey look skanky and vile.)
The visuals are very unique – colorful, in depth, and with lots of slow motion action.
The director pulls no punches with the violence. You will witness people die in a truly unique manner.
This movie isn’t for everyone. But if you enjoy the comic Dredd or science fiction shoot-em-ups and great special effects, then Dredd is your film.

Music Trivia Answers

Remakes – name the song:
1 – In 1995 Dream Theater remade this song by Elton John – Love Lies Bleeding
2 – In 1998 Orgy remade this song by New Order – Blue Monday
3 – 2002 by Shadows Fall, 2012 by Arjen Lucassen, and 2007 by Queesnryche saw the remake of this Pink Floyd song – Welcome to the Machine
4 – In 1999 Coal Chamber remade this song by Peter Gabriel – Shock the Monkey
5 – In 1996 White Zombie remade this song by KC and the Sunshine Band – I’m Your Boogieman

Did I Notice Your Book?

The brain child of one awesome Ciara Knight! (With the Ninja along for the ride as co-host.) Based on her weekly feature that began last year. (And CassaStar was the first book!)


The Ninjas and Knights are joining forces!

Did I Notice Your Book Blogfest, October 17, 2012
Post about a book you’ve noticed.

You can choose a book that you’ve read, something you saw on a blog or social media site, Goodreads, or a sales website. Anything that caught your eye because of a great cover, blurb or reviews, but DON’T tell the author that their book has been noticed. Instead, shout out on social media sites, and encourage others to do the same, until the author finds his/her book.

Leave a blog comment at Ninja Captain Alex or Ciara Knight when the author finds their book.

Only two rules:
1) You can’t post about your own book.
2) The book shouldn’t be on the New York Times or USA Today bestseller list. This is your chance to shout out about a book that might not have been noticed by others.

Let’s blow up the blogsphere with great new reads!

Sign up below!



Excited about the contests and news? Anyone else see Dredd? Get any of the trivia right? (Kathleen got all of them!) And are you signing up for the awesome new blogfest?

Don’t forget to visit Karen for my take on blogging success!

Friday, September 21, 2012

Ninja News, Recaptured Dreams, Touchy Question, Award, Guest Posts, and Music Trivia!

Ninja News!

The next installment of Andrew Leon’s book, Shadowspinner – Part Five: The Police Car, is free today on Amazon!

If you’re looking for an awesome t-shirt, Jeremy at Retro Zombie has a slew of great shirts available at the NeatoShop.

Angela Orlowski Peart’s new book, Forged by Greed, is now available! You can purchase the eBook on Amazon for the special price of $3.50 through Sunday morning and paperbacks will soon follow. Congratulations, Angela!

Steven Symes new children’s book, Gracie the Ghost Eater, is now available! Congratulations, Steven.

Special cover reveal from Atom Book Blog Tours:

Abandon by Elana Johnson

seduced by power,
broken by control,
and consumed by love...

Coming June 2013. Mark it to-read on Goodreads today!

And Mark Koopmans says save the date – November 19, 2012! See his blog for vague details.

Recaptured Dreams!

Now available – Recaptured Dreams by Justine Dell

Her favorite line from the book:
“Xavier had thought he was in paradise before. He’d been wrong. Sophia was more than paradise. She was the very reason he breathed.”

Find Recaptured Dreams on Amazon. Goodreads, and Facebook,

Find Justine on Facebook, her Blog, and Twitter. Contact Justine by email: dell.justine@gmail.com

Watch the book trailer on You Tube

Touchy Question

Word verification. I encounter it most often during blogfests and IWSG posts. Now, a couple of my blogger buddies have used it for years and I’m all right with that. But most blogs with word verification are newer blogs.

My question – since word verification is the default setting and most bloggers probably don’t even know they are using it, would it be wrong to let them know in the comments? Just a “Hey, did you know you have word verification on?” As a co-host, I did that a couple times during the A to Z Challenge, but I’ve been hesitant to do it since.

What do you guys think?

Award!

Livia gave me the Daisy Award – thank you!
I’m to list seven weird things about me:
1 – I don’t own a cell phone
2 – I’ve attended over a hundred rock concerts
3 – I want to replace my lawn with Astro Turf
4 – I can write with music blaring and the TV on
5 – I want rocket launchers mounted on the front of my car
6 – I own a Klingon Bat’leth
7 – I never intended to become an author

I’m passing this on to the delightful and quirky Robyn at Life by Chocolate!

The Reason for Guest Posts and Features

Most of you have read my guest post guidelines and know that they are reserved for my blogger buddies. (Most of whom are listed in my sidebar – I need to update it again soon.)

I do this to give back and show support for those of you who support me. There are millions of blogs online and you chose to come visit me. Thousands of authors and writers and you’ve chosen to feature my books. So many people willing to do guest posts and you invite me. That means a lot to me, which is why my blog is open to you. Anything I can do to give back and support my friends.

I do it because I believe in you. It’s not just your book or achievement –  
I believe in you.

Music Trivia!

Remakes – name the song:

1 – In 1995 Dream Theater remade this song by Elton John

2 – In 1998 Orgy remade this song by New Order

3 – 2002 by Shadows Fall, 2012 by Arjen Lucassen, and 2007 by Queesnryche saw the remake of this Pink Floyd song

4 – In 1999 Coal Chamber remade this song by Peter Gabriel

5 – In 1996 White Zombie remade this song by KC and the Sunshine Band (really!)

So many cool new books! Any going on your list? Would you let someone using word verification know? What’s your reason for letting others provide guest posts? And any idea on the music trivia? Go ahead and make a wild hairy guess – you might be right! And who else is seeing Dredd this weekend?

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

Book Feature, Ninja News, Blogfest Reflections, Goodreads Thanks, Wrath of the Titans Review, and Music Review - Threshold

I interviewed Rick Daley at the A to Z Blog today – his theme for the Challenge was movies! (And you know how much I dig movies.) Stop by today and check out his interview.

Special Book Feature

Today I am highlighting a book by a very special blogger friend. I’ve read excerpts from Sophia’s book, Mormon Diaries, and it’s very powerful. (She was even gracious enough to list me in the acknowledgements – wow!) Here’s a little more about the book:

Synopsis:
Brought up in a religious home, Sophia believes the only way to have a forever family is by following church leaders and obediently choosing the right. She goes to the right school, marries the right man in the right place, and does the right thing by staying home to raise her children. But when she starts asking questions about grace, love, and the nature of God, she realizes her spiritual struggles could rip her family apart.

“Sophia Stone has a fine eye and a searching heart. Her story of growing up in and reaching through her Mormonism for a deeper, more authentic spirituality reflects all the ways that religion can both keep us satisfied with easy answers and push us to more difficult and complicated realizations. We need a hundred more books like this one . . . “ –Joanna Brooks, author of The Book of Mormon Girl

“Sophia Stone captured my attention from the beginning. This collection of personal essays, about questioning the legitimacy of Mormonism after having faith in the religion for the first 30-something years of her life, is not just a controversial quake to a reader’s heart and soul. Stone’s voice is brave, bold and intriguing. And surprisingly relatable to someone who is not religious.”—Jessica Bell, author of String Bridge

If you have any questions for Sophia L. Stone, her Twitter account is sophia stone@ask_a_mormon - and you can use the hashtag #mormonquestions.

You can purchase the book at Barnes and Noble and Amazon, and view the book trailer on You Tube.

Sophia, good luck and I wish you much success!

Ninja News – all about the ladies today!

Suze’s entry for a major writing competition won first place. And she was at the banquet when they announced it. Can you imagine that thrill? Way to go, Suze!

Special cover reveal!


If I Let You Go by Kyra Lennon
A New Adult/Contemporary Romance novella
Release Date: October 22nd 2012


Congratulations, Kyra!

Tyrean Martinson’s poem, "March Snow Hare," is included in the recent release of The Best of Every Day Poets Two. For more information, visit the release page at Every Day Poets. Tyrean, congratulations!

Karen Gowen at Coming Down the Mountain just released her new book on Tuesday, Lighting Candles in the Snow. Congratulations, Karen!

Blogfest Reflections

Just – wow! A hundred and seventy-eight of you participated and it was just incredible. Somehow I managed to visit every single one plus some of my regular blogger buddies on Monday. And my apologies to those I missed – not enough hours in the day! Thanks to those who commented - over two hundred! Almost broke the record. So many of you visited others on the list, and I really appreciate that. Special thanks to Jeremy, Nancy, and Kyra - I saw your comments everywhere! All links lead directly to the blogfest post, so feel free to continue exploring.

Thanks everyone for making this the best blogfest ever!

Goodreads Thanks!

And a big thanks to everyone who voted for CassaStar and CassaFire on the Goodreads Best Science Fiction Space Opera list! It won’t last, but they claimed the top two spots! Hopefully they can hang around the top five for a while. But it wouldn’t have been possible without your support. You guys rock!

Movie Review

Wrath of the Titans

The remake of Clash of the Titans was so awful, I avoided this sequel in the theater. Safe to say, this one is much better. Still not great. Worthington still can’t act to save his life. But three things made it better than the first one – it wasn’t a remake of a beloved classic; it actually had a soul and some humor; and the special effects were amazing. Worth a rental even if it won’t really stick with you for long.

Music Review

Threshold – March of Progress

The ninth studio release of this progressive rock band is definitely their best! Former lead singer Damian Wilson returns after doing several side projects, including working with prog master Arjen A. Lucassen – and the influence of Lucassen really shows. There isn’t a bad song on the disc. The melodies and vocals flow together perfectly and the songs are very accessible. The guitar and other instruments are so crisp – one of the best mixed albums I’ve ever heard. For those of you wanting to sample prog rock or expand in the genre ( Jamie! ) I’d highly recommend this disc.

Curious to know more about Sophia’s book? Excited for the new releases? Seen Wrath of the Titans? Picked up March of Progress? (Still wondering what the heck is progressive rock?) And did you have a good time with the blogfest?

Be sure to visit Rick at the A to Z Blog

Monday, September 17, 2012

Genre Favorites Blogfest and Ninja News!

Today is the Genre Favorites Blogfest!

But before we dive into the fun...

Ninja News!

Big thanks to those who voted for CassaStar and CassaFire on Goodreads’ BestScience Fiction/Space Opera. Last I looked, CassaStar was number three and CassaFire number four! That is just awesome, as I know the ranking will gain them even more exposure. My books are now in very good company. And if you missed my post on Friday and would like to vote to move the books even higher, the link is HERE. (And CassaFire could use a little help!)

Cate Masters kicks off her blog tour today for Death Is A Bitch. Congratulations on the new book, Cate!

Milo James Fowler just sold another short story and has a sixty-one percent success rate. (Yeah – whoa!) To celebrate all that and passing the three hundred sales mark, he is giving away his short story collection 1 Dozen on Amazon. Congratulations, Milo – you are an inspiration!



Genre Favorites Blogfest!

One blogfest, four favorites!
List your favorite genre of:
Movie
Music
Books
And a guilty pleasure genre from any of the three categories!

My favorite movie genre: Science Fiction

I’ve always had a fascination for space, adventure, and imagination. Look up at the stars – not only is our universe vast, but anything is possible. To watch those possibilities unfold on the big screen is pure magic. For two hours, I get to live the dream! (Without the risk of being blown out an airlock or anything.)

My favorite genre of music: Progressive Rock

Prog rock features complex dynamics. It’s not simple – it challenges you as a listener. With each listen, I discover more layers and the music gets better. Prog rock resonates and stays with me for many years after that first listen. Unlike popular music, it continues to sound fresh. As a musician and guitarist, I appreciate the work involved and the incredible results.

My favorite book genre: Science Fiction/Fantasy

I read to escape, pure and simple. Those two genres provide an opportunity to let my imagination roam free. Don’t need heavy details – just enough to drop me in a new world and allow my mind to envision a place beyond reality.

My guilty pleasure genre: Romantic Comedy Movies

Yes, I risk losing man-points! Romantic comedies are all clichĂ© and feature the same formula plot. But if the leads are good and possess chemistry, I enjoy these films. Hey, there are benefits to watching these movies with your wife…



Thanks to all the participants today and those who helped spread the word. You can still join us – sign up list is below. Be sure to visit others participating in the blogfest.

Thanks again to everyone who voted on Goodreads! Following Cate’s tour or picking up Milo’s book? And what are YOUR genre favorites??



Friday, September 14, 2012

Marketing Tips, Ninja News, Shannara TV Series, Help with Goodreads List, Ninja Answers, and Movie Trivia Answers

The wonderful Misha Gericke at My First Book invited me to do a post on marketing. Actually, she offered several topics and for some bizarre reason, I chose marketing. Is there a secret to marketing a book? If you are an author, I invite you to visit Misha for my best guess as to how to market a book.

Ninja News!

Juliana Haygert’s novelette, Her Heart’s Secret Wish, will be published by Decadent Publishing in December. Congratulations, Juliana!!

Julie at What Else is Possible just signed a contract with a publisher for her book, Polar Night. Way to go, Julie!

Cherie Reich revealed the cover art for her Gravity Trilogy – and it is awesome!


Joylene Nowell Butler’s novel, Dead Witness, is free today at her publisher’s site! Click HERE to get your copy.

Shannara TV Series!

From Variety:
“Sonar Entertainment has acquired the rights to author Terry Brooks' bestselling fantasy series "Shannara" and is partnering with Farah Films to produce a television series based on the books.
Set hundreds of years after the destruction of our civilization, series follows the Shannara family, who are empowered with ancient magic and whose adventures continuously reshape the future of the world. The plan is to base the show's first season on "The Elfstones of Shannara," the second book in the series.
The 20th bestselling book in the 25-year-old series has just premiered at No. 2 on the New York Times Bestsellers list. Two more books in the series are set to be published in 2013.”

Starting with Elfstones instead of Sword makes sense, as the second book predates the first one. Warner had purchased the movie rights, but based on the success of Game of Thrones, Sonar and Farah are working together to make it a TV series. Brooks has already voiced his approval of this move.

For me, this is awesome! Sword of Shannara was the first fantasy novel I ever read, and I fell in love with the genre. I’ve had the honor of meeting Terry Brooks as well. To see the series that meant so much to me, and spurred my desire to write, come to life will be pure Heaven!

Goodreads List Help

Yes, I’ve been on Goodreads over two years now and had no idea they had lists! (I guess this Ninja needs to prowl better.) CassaStar and CassaFire are both on the list for Best Science Fiction Space Opera – if you get a chance, please vote for either one. (Or both!) Click HERE to open a new window to vote.
Really appreciate it! Be nice to see both books higher on the list.

Getting to Know Your Ninja!

Still working my way through the questions…

From Lynda Young - How long did it take for you to train to become a Ninja Captain? When will you name your heir?
November 9 will mark three years of blogging for me, so I guess that’s how long it has taken. As for an heir… I’m not through yet!

From Michelle - If you had the opportunity to work on a collaborative music project with just ONE great artist, who would that be? Have you written any songs for the guitar? Instrumental or with lyrics?
One great artist? John Petrucci of Dream Theater. The man is beyond talented. I haven’t written any songs, but I have crafted several melodies. No lyrics. I can sing but prefer not to…

From Zoltán: Does the Ninja have to sleep? How many hours per a day do you spent with sleep?
I revel in my sleep! I usually get between six and seven hours a night during the week. (More on the weekends.) Bedtime for me is 10:00pm. Note I didn’t say that’s when I go to sleep though. (I am married to a hot wife!)

Tasha Seegmiller posted about Building the Support System on Wednesday. She liked my answer so much, she emailed me and said I should share it. Said it was romantic or something like that. So here’s the comment:

”I was fortunate my wife was supportive from day one when I began rewriting that old manuscript.
I made a pact with her that I would keep our private life private and never allow any insanity to invade our home. (Outside of me writing for hours of course.) That's why I'm such a secretive Ninja - for her.”

Movie Trivia Answers

1 – “Go that way really fast. If something gets in your way, turn.” – Better Off Dead
2 – “Maybe you’re the plucky comic relief.” – Galaxy Quest
3 – “Ray, next time someone asks you if you’re a god, say yes!” - Ghostbusters
4 – “Take this quarter, go downtown, and have a rat gnaw that thing off your face!” – Uncle Buck
5 – “You idiot! These are not them. You’ve captured their stunt doubles!” - Spaceballs

Excited for Juliana and Julie? Excited about Shannara finally coming to life? (I’m stoked!) Can you help with the Goodreads list? (I can grovel if necessary…) Surprised by my answers? Get the quotes right? And who is catching Resident Evil: Retribution this weekend?

Don’t forget to visit Misha!

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Movie Reviews - Lockout & YellowBrickRoad, Ninja News, Celebrating Bloggers Blog Hop, Music Answers, and Movie Quotes Trivia!

Movie Reviews!

Feels like I haven’t done one of these in ages. So I’ll give you two!

Lockout - 2012

Officially the worst film of 2012! Mystery Science Theater 3000 would have a field day with this movie.
It’s similar to Escape From New York, only much, much worse. In the first five minutes, the special effects are on par with early 80’s films. The dialogue is cheesy. The plot’s convoluted. The movie is badly edited. It’s a total mess.
There’s only one reason I made it to the end – Guy Pearce. His character was snarky as hell and stole the show. Drop Pearce in that character into any other film, and he would’ve been brilliant.
You’ve been warned!!!

YellowBrickRoad - 2010
In 1940, the entire population of Friar, NH walked up a winding mountain trail – some froze to death, some were slaughtered, and the rest vanished. This movie follows a group of explorers trying to solve the mystery of the Yellow Brick Road.
Part psychological thriller, part horror (a.k.a. Blair Witch) this freaky little movie gets under your skin. (It’s not a found footage film though.) It’s disturbing on many levels with a vibe similar to Valhalla Rising. Ending is really odd, but everything in between is even odder, especially the music. If you need satisfaction in your movies, look elsewhere. Want a weird ride that’s not too extreme? This is your movie.

Ninja News!

Rick announced that the first issue of Nain Rouge Magazine, a Journal of Art, Poetry and Prose is up over at White Cat Publications, LLC!

Tim Brannan at The Other Side is hosting the Monstrous Monday Blogfest on October 29 – blog about your favorite monster. Just in time for Halloween!

Donna K. Weaver just signed a contract with Rhemalda Publishing. Congratulations, Donna!

Celebrating Bloggers Blog Hop

Caught this over at Jennifer Lane’s blog. (And she was gracious enough to list me!) It’s the Celebrating Bloggers Blog Hop, hosted by Terri Giuliano Long.

I’d like to celebrate the following bloggers:

Patrick Tillett Extreme traveler and expert photographer. Pat goes to those out of the way places so we don’t have to. Thanks pat – you rock!

Kathy at Imagine Today - She’s a writer, a reader, and a very sweet person. Her profile says it all “I am passionate about living life and giving back to our world.” Amen, Kathy!

Gary and Penny at Klahanie - master of snark and much coveted blog comments. Gary is both amusing and devoted. We all know Penny is in charge though!

Medeia Sharif - Young adult author, major goal achiever, and a super supporter. You are super cool in my book, Medeia!

Johanna at Losing Sanity - Author and mother extraordinaire, she has a great grip on life and family. And I’d take her traveling anytime, because she knows all the good spots!

Music Trivia Answers!

1 – Three singers have fronted Van Halen – name them. David Lee Roth, Sammy Hagar, and Gary Cherone (formerly of Extreme)
2 – Joe Satriani, one of the best guitarists in the world, is known for his guitar instrumental albums, but he actually sang lead vocals for several songs on which of his albums? Flying in a Blue Dream
3 – Care to take a stab at naming all the lead singers for the band Rainbow? Ronnie James Dio, Graham Bonnet, Joe Lynn Turner, and Doogie White
4 – In 1999 the band Fear Factory did a cover of the 1980 song, Cars, and it featured a guest appearance by the original singer/songwriter – name him. Gary Numan
5 – And now here’s an easy one! Name the lead singer of Rush. Geddy Lee

Comedy Movie Quotes Trivia!

You can blame Jeremy at Retro-Zombie. We’ve had a banter of movie quotes going on the past couple weeks. Name the comedy!

1 – “Go that way really fast. If something gets in your way, turn.”

2 – “Maybe you’re the plucky comic relief.”

3 – “Ray, next time someone asks you if you’re a god, say yes!”

4 – “Take this quarter, go downtown, and have a rat gnaw that thing off your face!”

5 – “You idiot! These are not them. You’ve captured their stunt doubles!”

Seen either of the movies I reviewed? (If you saw Lockout in the theater, my condolences.) Any news spark your interest? Who would you celebrate in the blog hop? Get any of the music trivia right? Know any of the movie quotes? Think the Ninja spends too much time watching movies? Nah – never!

Monday, September 10, 2012

Author ML Chesley & Humor; Chocolate Blogfest; SA Larsen Giveaways; Ninja News and More!

Special Guest, Author M. L. Chesley, Talks Balance and Laughter!

Hi everyone!

First of all, let me just say thank you to Alex for allowing me to hijack his blog for a day. Alex, you are the best Ninja Captain out here in the blogosphere and I am very thankful you're such a great support.

Next, I want to let you all know a little something about me. I am a Libra. That's my sign. If you are hitting on me, then my sign would be 'Stop'. So what does this have to do with anything, you ask? Well, as a Libran, I'm about balance. I am always trying to find a balance to everything I do in my life. I also try to find that balance in my writing. With that being said, let me ask you this:

Do you like to laugh?

Sure, laughter is the best medicine and everyone loves a comedian, but how much comic relief do you want to have in your stories?

Me? I love my comic relief. I love when my characters bicker like siblings, joke around like best pals and try to alleviate tension.

Ahh, now we're getting to it, right? Letting off a little steam every so often. Things get to heavy, too dramatic and in walks the clown, am I right? When have you not seen a little humor in those dark, depressing scenes? You want to move your reader, you want them to experience a myriad of emotions at your bidding. But you also want them to laugh!

Laughter is my defense mechanism and it is also the same for my character, Vendras. Like I always say, if I can't laugh about it, there is something seriously wrong. Vendras likes being the one to dispel the gloom, to get the smile or chuckle, though he'd never admit to it outright. I feel it is a very important aspect to have in writing. I find I connect with characters and authors who use humor as a weapon against the darkness when I read a book. More often than not, I find a book with very little humor to be too much or too boring.

So what do you think? And by the way, I have a book coming soon: 'Adversarius, Shadow of the Rose: Book One'. I’ll be sure to let you know when the book is available. You’ll get to meet Vendras, then!

Mel~

~ I'm a blogger and an author.

Adversarius, Shadow of the Rose: Book One, will be available soon from Hellfire Publishing, and you can visit their blog, the Hellfire Herald.

What's Your Chocolate Blogfest

Hosted by Laura Eno, M. Pax, Ciara Knight, and Brinda Berry!

My favorite kind of chocolate? Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups!Why? Chocolate and peanut butter. Together. Enough said!

Visit any of the ladies above for a full list of participants. (Essentially, dozens of women and about five happy guys. Hey, wouldn't you be happy surrounded by all those women?)

S.A. Larsen – Giveaway and Promotion Opportunities!

“Today, I invite you to celebrate with me!! I've signed with Literary Agent Paula Munier of Talcott Notch Literary! And because our literary community is so freaking fabulous and generous, I'm having a Bigger-Than-A-Shopping-Mall GIVEAWAY!! The giveaway consists of: two separate Rafflecopters with multiple giveaways and one grand prize Rafflecopter giveaway - to enter for the grand prize, you must enter either giveaway #1, #2, or both.”

Congratulations, Sheri! She has also launched Graffiti Promotions. If you are an author, hop over to her site and fill out one of the forms.

Ninja News

Isis Rushdan unveiled the cover for her upcoming release, Kindred of the Fallen. Congratulations, Isis!

Angela Orlowski-Peart’s first book, Greed, is due out on September 20. She has been hard at work designing her new website and invites everyone to come take a look HERE. Congratulations, Angela – that’s next week. Get excited!



Don’t forget my Genre Favorites Blogfest next Monday, September 17!


And look for my music trivia answers on Wednesday.



Today I am also revealing the cover for Carrie Butler’s upcoming novel, Strength, Mark of Nexus – Book 1

Synopsis:
When college student Rena Collins finds herself nose-to-chest with the campus outcast, she’s stunned. Wallace Blake is everything she’s ever wanted in a man—except he can’t touch her. His uncontrollable strength, a so-called gift from his bloodline, makes every interaction dangerous. And with a secret, supernatural war brewing among his kind, there’s no time to work it out. To keep Wallace in her life, Rena will have to risk a whole lot more than her heart.

Published by Sapphire Star Publishing, this New Adult/Paranormal Romance will be released on March 07, 2013.

Find Carrie Butler here: Website, Blog, Twitter, and Goodreads.

Do you use humor in your writing? Or something else to balance the tension? What’s your favorite chocolate? Entering SA Larsen’s giveaway? Excited about the upcoming releases? Bummed you have to wait until Wednesday for the music trivia answers? Sorry, didn’t want this blog post to explode…